Members of the public can also hand in their antibiotics at their local high street pharmacy.

"[These] are practical steps that would promote prudent use of antimicrobials in the region", explained Ms. Kadiresan.

Any new class of antimicrobials or new antimicrobial combination developed for use in humans will be considered critically important for human medicine unless categorised otherwise by WHO. In the U.S., FDA is working with industry to gradually phase out the use of medically important antimicrobials in food animals for production purposes.

He said there are at least three ways people misuse antibiotics.

Hot Stock Buy Signal: Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR)
Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 7.4% during the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Asset Management Inc raised its position in Nektar Therapeutics shares by 5.0% as of the end of the last quarter.

Neils Stegelmeier, a freshman studying animal science, said he and his fellow students are testing the bacteria they find in the soil for antibiotic properties. "Not only that, by using antibiotic treatment unnecessarily, other bacteria in the environment as well as the "healthy" bacteria in the body gets the opportunity to develop resistance due to exposure, which can potentially cause antibiotic resistant infections later on", says Dr Paul Soko executive head of clinical services and quality at Life Healthcare Group Antibiotic-resistant infections are complex and hard to treat. This research directly informed the development of WHO's new guidelines.

"Antibiotic resistance is a global crisis that we can not ignore", said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO.

The National Pork Producers Council immediately issued a statement calling a ban on disease prevention uses of antibiotics in food-animal production as "ill-advised and wrong". He is passionate about antibiotic awareness, because it's crucial that hospitals can continue to use antibiotics. For example, since 2006, the European Union has banned the use of antibiotics for growth promotion.

Alternative options to using antibiotics for disease prevention in animals include improving hygiene, better use of vaccination, and changes in animal housing and husbandry practices.